Ok--I've had Piettas that when go in half cock cylinder falls back in--no problem. I got uberti 1858 Army 44's that are beautiful case hardened but can't get the cylinder back in. When put on half cock the hammer hand still sticks out thru the shiels where piettas did not. Even though the bolt drops for clearance -I can't get it back in without getting MAd! What's the deal here. I've eased back hammer-tried everything. Please help me
WBH

Ease the hammer back until it clears. The bolt and hand will both be retracted and the cylinder WILL fall in or out from either side. The jiggling you have to do on half cock is pushing the hand back far enough to get the cylinder past it. Try it with the cylinder out to see how far the hammer needs to be pulled back to retract both at the same time.

Don't know if this will help, but I insert my Uberti cylinder (on half-cock) from the right-hand side of the frame. At the same time I rotate the cylinder with my fingers to push the hand up out of the way.

Playing with the hammer is a good way to gouge the soft Italian cylinder with the bolt (from underneath). I know 'cause I've done it. The cylinder can be rotated (clockwise) in from the right side, at half cock, with a little practice, and you won't mar the cylinder.

I was down in the carport workshop while you wrote. Now I am back. I noticed the hammer hand would not retract all the way back and uncocked the point of it was poking out like a small burr when not cocked. I filed that down flush. I got it back in the frame by putting it on 1/2 cock and rotating cylinder with left hand and pulling back hammer continuously until it finally engaged and was able to line it w/ pin. Jeez-there ought to be an easier method. Should I take a litlle more off the hand? Hey, had very little experience w/ Rems but the piettas always dropped hammer hand back into the shield. This Uberti does not--and my 2nd Gen peacemaker does not either.
WBH

No-it didn't go in the 1st time. I struggled. I saw the point of the hammer hand coming up thru frame and only filed that down flush to the frame. I was then able to fumble it back in. And no-the hammer hand does not retract back like Piettas. It does much like the old peacemakers. Anyway, I think Hawg was saying I took integrety off the hand but I think it was just too long and pointed. I hope I didn't weaken it!

Have yall seen these guns? They are expensive-look up rem collections at Taylors. Check out backstrap and top strap. BEAUTIFUL

Riot Earp--I got better at this from what you said--putting it in from the left side, ,,what I found out is that putting a uberti cylinder in is not the same easy way Pietta made them. The hammer hand never retracts back. It won't fall back in. It's a touch the instruction manual doesn't mention. Pietta 58 draws the hammer in at 1/2 cock for easy assembly. But Everyone loves the case hardened uiberti--I guess they will struggle w.cylinder like I did. Maybe not.

Yeah, Pietta hands stick out too and require a little twist to install a cylinder from half cock but the other way is faster and easier. BTW Hardy, when I said it went in the first time I meant when the factory put it in.

With the Remingtons I have the primary difficulty in getting the cylinder to go back in smoothly has to do with the cylinder getting a tiny bit crooked and binding up. It seems to have less to do with the hand than it has to do with this binding.

__________________
Doc

My reading of history convinces me that most bad government results from too much government. Thomas Jefferson

The only Uberti 1858 Army I have is the carbine and it's new, not broken in yet. Even if the hand sticks out a bit, when inserting the cylinder from the right on half cock, I only need to give a slight clockwise twist and it slips right in. I did have the problem you are having with one of my Pietta 1858 NMAs. After 30 rounds or so it got easier, or perhaps I just got used to it. I scratched up that cylinder by not going into half cock and just pulling the hammer till the cylinder would just fall out or just slide in. I recommend worrying about the bolt being fully retracted more than the hand if you don't want to scratch the cylinder. Perhaps after breaking it in a bit, it will become a non issue.

__________________Liberty and freedom often offends those who understand neither.

That's the way I do it and I haven't scratched a cylinder yet. Maybe next time.

Yes I know. There's a definite knack to it. I wasn't pulling the hammer back far enough to ensure the bolt was clear before dropping or inserting the cylinder. That caused the bolt to scratch up the cylinder, especially when I was putting it back in. Live and learn! I now know exactly how far to pull the hammer to keep the bolt from scratching the cylinder, but have many more years experience now. Never scratched another cylinder since that one, but I'm not trying to do the pale rider speed cylinder swap and fast draw much any more either. I'm sure that had something to do with the scratches as well...

__________________Liberty and freedom often offends those who understand neither.

I have posted this a few different places in the past, so forgive me if I am repeating myself. I modified my conversion as well as my bp cylinder. Use a small file and make a groove for the hand to move through. It's a simple mod that will make you look like a pro .

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